Hopeful
by Are We Human
Summary: Hermione Granger is now twentyfive years old, working at the Ministry of Magic and living with her boyfriend, Ted. But she soon realises things will never be the same again when an old friend comes to call. RHr.


Hopeful

p Got bored and wrote this Review! /p 

p /p 

p Hermione Granger was absent-mindly scrubbing one of her expensive china plates over the sink, hardly aware that she had been scrubbing it for the past hour, and that It was now quite clean, or cleaner. She had alot on her mind at that moment. Hermione sighed to herself and pushed a strand of her brunnette hair out of her face and kept on scrubbing. /p 

p She missed it. She had to admit it. Hermione was now working at the Ministry of Magic, and that was where she had met her boyfriend, Theodore "Ted". He was a good man, he loved her and he treated her right. So why did she feel like there was something wrong, something missing inside of her? /p 

p Hermione set down the plate and gazed out of the window. It was a nice day. The sun was high in the blue sky, not a cloud in sight. It was a hot day aswell, but still she felt a cold, chilling breeze that made her spine tingle. /p 

p She didn't miss it i that /i much ... or did she? Hermione didn't know. She didn't understand it. She was twenty-five, with a good job, a nice home, and a good boyfriend to boot. But she still felt it. And then she understood. /p 

p Hermione missed Harry Potter, one of her two best friends at Hogwarts, the school she'd went to as a girl, and she also missed Ronald Weasley, her other best friend, just as much. She loved the two of them so much, and would have given anything to see them again. /p 

p Hermione hadn't heard from either of them since ... well, not for atleast six years. She didn't know where the two of them were, nor what they were doing. She imagined them to be holed up together, laughing and joking and seeking out dating opportunities ... /p 

p She sighed and hung her head. Why couldn't she be out there with them, having a good time? Sure, she was happy to be here with Ted, but it wasn't atall much i fun /i , when she thought about it. On her days off she'd usually spend all of her time at home, alone, all by herself. Ted was at work alot and when he wasn't, he was out at meetings or doing things elsewhere. /p 

p Hermione remembered about what she had felt for Ron. It had been wonderful, to have a crush on him whilst they were at school. But then when he had taken up with Lavender Brown, kissing her at any spare moment he had, It broke her heart. /p 

p Ron had been jealous of her, of course, when she'd been with Viktor Krum in their fourth year. Maybe he had done that to get back at her? It didn't really matter now. She missed him, she missed Harry. She wanted more then anything to see the two of them again ... /p 

p There was a knock at the door. /p 

p Hermione froze, her eyes widening. She never usually had visitors at this time of day. Whoever could it be? /p 

p One of her fine china plates still in her grip, Hermione left the kitchen and darted towards the front door. She opened it and had made to say, "Yes?" impatiently, for whoever it was had been interfering with her daily chors. But she didn't get the chance. /p 

p Hermione dropped the china plate. /p 

p It was Ron. /p 

p /p 

p "R-Ron?" /p 

p Hermione was in shock. It couldn't be him, no, It couldn't be ... she'd just been thinking about him before for the first time in months and months, she was delirious ... It wasn't true, he wasn't i really /i there ... /p 

p "You'd better believe it." The boy, or man, with red hair and bright blue eyes, said to her. He grinned, and at once Hermione knew that she wasn't delirious. She wasn't dreaming. This was i actually /i Ron. /p 

p "What- What are you doing here?" Hermione asked, trying to contain the happiness that threatened to break out at seeing him. It had been so long ... i too /i long infact. /p 

p He didn't answer her at first. He sort of hesitated for a moment, before clearing his throat, "I, Er- I've been away, you know ..." /p 

p "Well of course I know," Hermione said sternly, hands now on her hips, completely ignoring the shattered china plate down by her feet, "Why didn't you bother to write to me, Ron? I missed you and Harry more then anything in this world!" /p 

p "Oh yeah? What about this boyfriend of yours?" Ron said loftily, leaning against the door and smirking, "What's he like, anyway? This man of yours?" /p 

p "He's charming, If you must know," Hermione snapped, though she was still unbelieveably cheerful at seeing Ron again, "He works at the Ministry." /p 

p "Oh yeah?" Ron said, suddenly looking up at her, "I might have seen him around. Where does he work?" /p 

p "Well I- Well, I don't know i exactly /i ..." Said Hermione uncertainly, and this was true, she didn't know exactly what Ted did. He had never bothered to tell her. /p 

p "Quite the boyfriend, isn't he?" Ron said, grinning, "Doesn't even bother to tell you where he works, does he?" /p 

p "Quiet," Hermione said, though she grinned aswell, and Ron laughed. "So, what do you do now then?" She went on. Ron suddenly went blank again and looked away from her, "Well?" Hermione was suddenly anxious. /p 

"Well er- Harry and me, we're er- we're aurors now ..." /p 

p "Aurors?" /p 

p "Er- yeah ..." /p 

p Hermione didn't know whether to be pleased for him or not. Ron and Harry could get themselves killed, and she didn't want that atall, "Ron, have you thought about the dangers of being an auror?" /p 

p "Sure I have!" Ron said coolly, "It's OK Hermione, really. It's great!" /p 

p "Oh really?" Hermione said, pursing her lips and leaning to one side, "Well, If it's so great, why on earth are you here talking to me?" /p 

p Ron grinned, "I had to see you again, didn't I? You've probably been wondering where I've been all this time, and everything." /p 

p "Well, yes, I have," Hermione said quickly, which was untrue. She hadn't thought of Ron atall up till now, "So er- How's Harry? And how's things? Where are you staying?" /p 

p "Up at Grimmauld Place," Ron told her, "It's alright now ... Harry still can't get Sirius out of his head, but well, we needed a place to stay ... y'know ..." /p 

p Hermione suddenly felt a rush of symphethy towards Harry. The poor guy didn't have anyone but his friends, now that his godfather had died, aswell as his parents, "Well ... when you see him again, tell him I'm thinking of him." /p 

p "Will do," Ron said, "So, can I come in?" /p 

p Hermione felt anxious again. If Ted came back from work early, which he sometimes did ... "Well, I don't think this is a very good time Ron," She said, hastily pushing a strand of her hair out of her eyes again. /p 

p "Why not?" Ron enquired, glancing at her oddly, "Doesn't look like anyones home." /p 

p "Well, Ted could get back from work early, he sometimes does-" /p 

p "Why are you worried about your boyfriend coming home early?" /p 

p Hermione stared at him. He had a point. Why i was /i she so worried? Ted would be home in a few hours and the least she could do was invite her old best friend from school into the house. It's not as if anything was going to i happen /i anyway ... /p 

p "Well, alright," Hermione murmered impatiently, stepping out of the way to let him through, "_Reparo_," She added, pointing her wand at the pieces, which instantly formed back into the shape of the china plate she had dropped before, "Come into the lounge." /p 

p Ted and Hermione's lounge was furnished with two cushy sofas, a couple of old chairs, and alot of photographs in frames, of the two of them, taken a few years back. Ron looked fascinated as he stepped inside. /p 

p "D'you clear this place up with a wand?" He asked, sitting down, still eyeing the room with interest. Hermione shook her head. /p 

p "No. Well, sometimes. Mostly I like to clear it up on my own," She said, smiling, "Like muggle cleaning." /p 

p "Wow ..." Ron said breathlessly, looking around, "Cool, muggle cleaning ..." /p 

p Hermione laughed. Simple things please simple minds, she thought to herself, whilst gazing at Ron fondly while he looked around. /p 

p "So, when's Teddy due back?" He said finally, after taking everything around him in. Hermione scowled and rolled her eyes at him. /p 

p "He'll be back in a few hours, after his shifts down," She said, "We're going out for dinner tonight with a few of his colleuges-" /p 

p "Oh yeah?" Ron interupted, "That should be fun. Mind If I come along?" He added, smirking mischeviously, untill he saw the look on her face, "What? It would be! It'd be nice to meet that good old boyfriend of yours. He's treating you right, eh? Pure luxury, this is." He said, eyeing the furniture again. /p 

p Hermione rolled her eyes again, "No, you can't come, Ron, and It's not i luxury /i ..." Although she was lying there. Ted treated her alot, he'd said he wanted to make her feel like a special little princess. This sometimes bothered her a bit. She frowned. /p 

p "Well, can't hang around here all day, can I?" Ron said suddenly, causing Hermione to suddenly come out of her reverie, "Got to get back to Grimmauld Place." /p 

"Can I not come with you?" Hermione asked hopefully, looking up at him. /p 

p "No, sorry Hermione. It's too risky at the moment ... maybe some other time?" Ron said hastily, avoiding her gaze, "Look, I know It's been ages and all that, but me and Harry, we never really forgot you, y'know." /p 

p Hermione suddenly felt tearful, "Really?" /p 

p "Really," Ron said, grinning widely, "Anyway, I'd better get off now. Don't want the boyfriend to walk in on us, do we?" /p 

p "I suppose not," Hermione said bitterly, and very reluctantly, she led the way out of the lounge and into the landing, opening the front door for him. But before she could get round to saying goodbye, Ron suddenly grabbed her by the shoulders and kissed her lightly. /p 

p Hermione's eyes widened once they broke apart. "R-Ron?" /p 

p "Listen, Hermione," Ron said seriously, "I still like you. I always liked you, from the moment I laid eyes on you. Nothing's changed, alright?" /p 

p "But, Ron, I'm with Ted, I-" /p 

p "Yeah, I know," Ron said, "But It doesn't change how I feel about you." /p 

p And then at that moment, Hermione realised how much she liked Ron back. She was i in /i love with him. /p 

p "Ron, I don't want to be with Ted, I want to be with you," She said breathlessly, their eyes locked. Ron nodded and clamped a hand to her shoulder. /p 

p "I know, Hermione," He said, "And maybe I'll see you again soon. But you know what my job's like, don't you?" He said, rolling his eyes which made her laugh. Hermione nodded, yes, she understood perfectly well what his job was like, but that didn't stop him seeing her. /p 

p "I want to see you again," Hermione said, close to tears. /p 

p "You will, Hermione, mark my words," Ron told her reassuringly, his hand still on her shoulder, "I'll see you really soon, alright? I'll write to you, and maybe you can come and stay at Grimmauld Place for a bit. OK?" /p 

p "Yes," Hermione said, but then she remembered and frowned, "But, Ted ..." /p 

p "Oh yeah, good old Ted," Ron muttered, and he frowned too, "Well, I'm sure you'll find a way of getting 'round him, If you're still the old Hermione I know ..." /p 

p Hermione smiled at this, "Of course I am," But then her smile faded and she gazed intently at him, "I'll miss you, Ron." /p 

p "I'll miss you too," Ron said, taking his hand off of her shoulder. They gazed sadly at eachother for a few minutes before Ron turned to walk out. Hermione stopped him suddenly. /p 

p "Write to me, OK?" She said. Ron nodded, but she still had something else for him, "Oh, and Ron-" /p 

p He got there first. It seemed an age before they finally broke apart, and Ron walked out the door and down the street, before appirating. As Hermione closed the door, vivid visions came to light in her head. She, Harry and Ron down at Grimmauld Place, she and Ron together atlast, she and Ron maybe even getting i married /i ... /p 

p Oh yes, Hermione was definately hopeful. /p 


End file.
